An Interview with Gina Paredes from the Dominican Republic

At the same time Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Pope Francis was airing, I had the privilege of interviewing Gina Paredes, the new President of MISEVI International. And I must say that I found both equally inspiring.

In these days when there are leaders in every corner of the world who are vying for power, or gaining control of more land, or defending their own ideology, Pope Francis is calling us to prayer, calling us to faith and hope, calling us to be people of peace.

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MISEVI International, inspired by the call for hope from our Pope, recently elected a new Coordinating Team, led by Gina Paredes, who was born into a loving family (Mom, Dad and Sister) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on November 27^th, the Feast of the Miraculous Medal.  This is where Gina’s journey as a Vincentian began, a journey later nurtured by the Daughters of Charity and the Vincentian Fathers, but always in a community of lay Vincentians, including Vincentian Marian Youth.  Gina shares, “The charism began to be injected into my life every year with the Vincentian celebrations, and, above all, by seeing the living example of service of the sisters and the permanent accompaniment of the fathers.” 

Not only was her life shaped by the Vincentian charism, but also by her country where “we are a welcoming people and sensitive to the needs of others.”  Gina has continued to find meaning and purpose in her small group of MISEVI in the DR, where she finds the most significant thing to be “the perseverance and commitment that those of us who make up the community experience, not only the commitment with the association itself, but with the most impoverished and with the Vincentian family,” some of whom are VMY catechists, others part of the 13 Houses project, and others who are members of the FAVIDO Council.

Gina describes herself as “a human being in search of fulfillment; daughter of God, open to His grace.”  This gives Gina energy, enthusiasm, and a Vincentian identity that will contribute to the future of MISEVI.  She brings herself with her life story and experiences that have shaped her.  She brings her “friends from Street Pastoral, a permanent reminder that God is everywhere and in every person regardless of their social and economic condition.”

As Gina reflected on our recent Extraordinary Assembly (held in Bogota, Colombia, April 10-13, 2024), she stated, “It was a time and space of LIFE for me: to have the opportunity to learn about other MISEVI experiences, to be able to train and reflect on what we are and do, and, above all, what we want to be/do.” She found the opportunity “to continue dreaming and shaping what we want to be as an international association,” expressed in lines of action.

For the future, Gina sees the opportunity for MISEVI International to “become the cause of the worldwide mission for the Vincentian Family:  the space of confluence of our missionary charism,” where we can promote the mission within the Church and “fully live our Christian being and vocation to serve.  I dream of …. a missionary and Vincentian spirituality lived fully by each member, a spiritual and human oasis that brings us closer every day to Jesus, the center of our missionary being, the reason for our being/doing.”

Thank you, Gina, for so graciously accepting this position and for inspiring us with the hope that Pope Francis speaks of: “Hope is the door that opens onto the future. Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life that, with time, will develop into a large tree. It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow, that brings flavor to all aspects of life. And it can do so much, because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hope is enough to shatter the shield of darkness.”